Site Presented By
Sunday, Nov 8, 2009
I'm not surprised at Heather's reaction. Anyone so enamored with fascist bully Jack Bauer couldn't possibly see anything wrong with the scapegoating and intimidation of Marcel on "Top Chef."
"Besides, wasn't this the humbling experience that Marcel was unconsciously crying out for these long weeks?"
I expect to hear the "(s)he was asking for it" defense from misogynists and homophobes, not on frikkin Salon.
I'm appalled. Not primarily that Heather Havrilesky would consider it acceptable to accuse a victim of violence of provoking the attack by being "precious" and "haughty"-- I don't know Ms. Havrilesky personally, but the existence of people with this attitude hardly comes as a shock. Mostly I'm appalled-- and angry-- that Salon would consider it acceptable to publish a piece of writing that justifies violence on the grounds that the victim was "unconsciously crying out for" a "humbling experience."
Just because the subject is the relatively trivial one of reality television doesn't mean that all ethical and journalistic standards are hereby suspended, or that I should expect to see such blatant victim-blaming in a responsible publication, liberal or conservative. I'd really like to think Salon would fall into that category. Please prove me right by posting an apology and vetting Ms. Havrilesky's work more thoroughly in the future.
I'm not sure why I read this column as her opinions are asinine. She loves crap and hates quality. Luckily, I won't have to read her crap any longer, as this ridiculous column has solidified the thought that she is an idiot. Getting woken up in the middle of the night, and have your face buried in the carpet while bullies watch and laugh, knowing your humiliation will be broadcast on national tv. No, that's not a big deal at all. Fool.
heather, you ask, "Isn't it more than a little creepy how often black people are kicked off reality shows?"
actually, it isn't 'creepy'; it's predictable. why? because reality TV producers compulsively exploit stereotypes in their casting choices, and, just like we can always count on jerry springer's 'guests' to start throwing punches and taking their clothes off on cue, the low-rent, dingbat-idiot black people who are so often cast solely because they can be counted upon to create tension do exactly what they feel is expected of them, and then are summarily dismissed, with a lot of faux-guilty hand-wringing and post-game PC apologism in the pop culture media.
the cream of the reality crop usually transcend this kind of casting ('the amazing race' is the clear standout here, though 'survivor' and even 'the apprentice'--disregarding omarosa--have also had success casting minorities who aren't edited as caricatures, and all 3 shows have been won by various minorities). but second-rate shows without the inherent drama of wilderness survival or a race around the world tend to make up for it by casting wackos who will act out on cue. we've seen just this sort of thing unfold recently on the UK 'celebrity' Big Brother, where a white woman--whose sole claim to celebrity, incidentally, was a previous appearance on--yep--UK Big Brother--started taunting an Indian houseguest with racial slurs, sparking a national controversy. the show had been tanking in the ratings before the confrontation, and has since experienced a considerable spike in viewership.
the guiltiest reality TV race-baiters, of course, are the producers of MTV's Real World, who have an incredible knack for casting angry black men (and, occasionally, women) who can be relied upon at some point to get drunk, start a fight, make an inappropriate sexual advance, violently overreact to a perceived racial slight or insult, etc.--all the stereotypical 'uncontrollable black man' behaviors that have permeated white culture since the days of Jim Crow minstrel shows. the housemates then solemnly gather to decide the brother's fate, equivocating endlessly (or, at least, for the full 30 minutes of the episode) because, hey, they're not racists, BUT . . .
most reality TV contestants are vapid and terrifyingly lacking in self-consciousness, but only the minorities are examined and dissected as token representatives of their race/culture/sexual orientation, etc., and, time and again, they witlessly set themselves up to be exploited by shameless, unscrupulous producers.
assholes come in all colors and sizes, including big and black. smart, judicious, self-conscious people don't go on reality TV unless there's a million dollar prize involved, and, even then, they are rarely cast unless they're exceptionally telegenic. who wants to watch a bunch of polite, sensitive, respectful people? nobody--that is, unless the nice people are outnumbered by abusive, belligerent goons.
cliff delivered exactly what he was cast for. what's 'creepy' is that you seem implicitly willing to use reality TV as a litmus test for race relations--a subject just a teensy bit too complex to be packaged into clips and sound-bytes between soap commercials.
actually, i think i speak for most of us when i say that i have no problem taking care of my family, paying attention to what my government is doing, and watching the occasional cooking-related reality show.
what a pretentious, officious jackass you are, no name/no balls.
As Salon's resident TV critic, if Heather thinks the rate of expulsion of black reality TV contestants or participants (whatever) is suspicious rather than lazily raising an eyebrow and suggesting malfeasance, perhaps she might investigate this apparent "phenomenon" rather than throwing out "bait" ...
Heather and much of the female dominated Salon content is apparently held to a lower editorial standard than the male dominated (though not exclusively male) "serious" content ... their collective "ain't it awful" "if you're not outraged, you're a tool" mentality really undermines their credibility, not to mention what their predictable knee-jerk faux-outrage does for their purported "feminism" ... yecch.
I will never forgive that bastard Bauer for killing Curtis. Like most Curtises, Curtis "24" was hardworking, reliable, extremely intelligent and sort of sensitive. I say sensitive because killing people wasn't ALWAYS first on his list. On top of that, do you how how cool it is to hear one's name shouted over and over again on a hit television show? It was probably driving my old girlfriends crazy! Now Jack shoots him? In the face no less? What terrible irony for all of us Curtises. Damn that Jack Bauer!
The minute I saw Cliff wrap that monster arm, around that tiny neck, I knew his ass was gone. He forgot what he is.
Much of the initial coverage about Fort Hood turned out to be wrong. Is there anything wrong with that?
The accountability imposed by another country for the CIA's kidnapping and torture reveals much about our own.
Fox News' morning show plays to type, talking about whether Muslims in the Army should face "special debriefings"
The survivor and author is upset about comparisons some on the right are making to genocide
Once seen as a lunatic fringe, reactionary anti-women groups are courting respectability
Salon headlines in your mailbox
